Thanks for booking studio time! The bottom line is that we provide equipment that you are free to use safely as you see fit. The major requirement is that you put it back like you found it. With that said, the creative process and creative visions are different for everyone. We have included some recommendations in these instructions, but we do not wish to limit your creativity. 

Contentz provides remote and flexible in person studio support. The spaces are great for creating quality content on the go. Facilities include audio, video, lighting and flexible set designs that can be customized in minutes to help your brand produce content such as podcasts and video for social media.

Watch these 5 videos to know what to do when you get to the studio!

Step 1: Set Design – Set Up Background and Furniture Design

The set design defines the tone of your production. Contentz studios include one or two background walls that are designed as brick backgrounds. These walls are customized with hanging canvas backdrops that help establish the tone in your production. Black, Green and other options are available. If you want to adjust the background, please follow the instructions below.

How to adjust your background:

• If you want to change the backgrounds, pull out the step ladder.
• Remove the clips, starting at the bottom and moving to the top.
  • Adjust the height of the poles on either side of the background if you cannot teach the top with the step ladder.
• Gently drop the canvas without tearing it.
  • Fold the background in halves repeatedly until it is about 12 inches x 12 inches and place it to the side so it is not damaged. If you are not using all of the chairs, that is a good place to put it.
• Green screen and black back drop options are already hung behind the brick backgrounds. If you want a green screen or black backgrounds, simply pull down the cover brick backgrounds and you are ready to go.

How to Hang Your Background

• Choose your background and hang it using 5 clips provided in the studio for each wall. 
• Three clips will be used on the top bar – one on each side and one in the middle
• One clip will be used on each side to pull out any wrinkles on the background.
• Make sure that the top is aligned horizontally and level. If it is not level and centered, shadows can be seen on the background material in your video production.

Seating & Furniture

After the background is selected, decide how you can feature all of your guests.  Contentz studios can easily support 1-4 guests.  Depending on how many guests you plan to feature, you will adjust the furniture and camera accordingly.

How to Adjust the Furniture

• Backdrop flexibility – the set is designed for two walls or one wall to be set as the focal point for your camera. Choose whether you want to feature one or two walls in your shot.
  • If you want one wall, then plan to position seating centered on the wall design you prefer, which will likely mean either the chairs or the couch, but not likely both.
  • If you want two walls, which will include the corner, where the walls meet, then plan to use two sets of seating, i.e. the chairs and the couch.
• Guest seating Flexibility: 
  • Standard Setup options for 1-2 guests
    • Sit both guests at the round table or sit one guest at the round table and one guest on the couch.
  • Standard Setup options for 3-4 guests
    • Sit all four guests at round table
    • Sit 2 guests at round table and two on couch
    • Sit 3 guests at round table and one on couch

Again, the information about set design is offered more to suggest ideas, than it is to restrict you from trying different things. Enjoy the process and hopefully these suggestions help save you some time.  The only requirement is that you return the items to the position you found them in.

Step 2: Setting Up Audio, Video & Lighting for In-Person Studio

 

Contentz in person studios provide audio and video equipment to help make your media look great. This article outlines how to access the equipment and configure it upon arrival.

Setting Up Video

GoPro – There is a GoPro camera located in the filing cabinet. To Set it up, follow the steps below.

1. Attach the GoPro to tri pod.
2. Adjust tripod to preferred heigth.
3. Turn on GoPro and Frame shot.
4. Click record (top button) to start recording.
5. Click record (top button) to stop recording.
6. Swipe up on screen to review footage.
7. Adjust camera angle after review (ie. if you need changes).
8. Swipe down to return to record.
9. Option: swipe left /right for still photography use

Lighting

Contentz provides at least four lights to support your production. There are two box lights and two circular soft lights.

1. Turn on the lights
2. Position the two box lights to left and right of focal point.
3. Position the two soft lights (circular with umbrella) in front of or behind the subject.
4. Frame the shot with GoPro and take example footage.
5. Review the footage and adjust as necessary. (Moving lights up and down can help with reflection on TV).

TV – Multi Media Setup

Contentz provides a 50-inch TV to help make productions professional. This enables studio guests to add professionalism to their production by displaying a logo throughout the show or even showing media footage.

Steps to Use TV:

1. Use the remote to turn on the TV.
2. Connect your computer to the HDMI cord.
3. Select HDMI from the menu on the TV.
4. Select mirroring and allow the computer to connect to the TV. Click here to read an article that explains how to do this.
5. Navigate around your computer to test this feature. This feature allows you to control the TV during your production.

Pro Tip: White backgrounds on images help improve the display during production.

Setting Up Audio

Contentz provides up to four microphones, a mixing board and two stand options at in person studios. Follow the steps below to configure them for the best results.

Configuring Microphones, Stands and the Mixing Board

• Decide how many microphones you need for your production. There should be one for each guest.
• Pull out the microphones from the filing cabinet or on table.
• Connect the XLR cable to each microphone.
• Connect the XLR cable to the mixing board.
• Decide which microphone stands are best for your production. You can select the sitting stands, which require placement on the table, or you can select the boom stands, which stand alone next to guests. These are better for guests that are sitting on the couch during the production.
• Position the microphones where you want them.
• Move the filing cabinet and mixing board so it is able to reach the guests’ area with cable to microphones comfortably.
• Turn on the mixing board by pressing the circular button in back.
• Test the microphone input by recording an example.
  • Select record.
  • Adjust the microphone input so it is around half way on mixing board. Push up to where you hear feedback. Drop to where it is just silent.
  • Select stop and save when prompted.
  • Tap ellipses on upper left of mixing board screen. Tap playback and you can listen to your sample. If it sounds good, you are ready. If not, adjust input level until you like it.

Start Recording

Start recording after you are comfortable with the lighting, and audio levels. The recordings are sent to sound cards in the devices. You will transfer the files from the sound cards to your devices when you are finished recording.

Step 3: Break Down and File Transfer From In Person Studio

Great! You have captured your fantastic footage with audio and video. Now it is time to take it with you.

Your footage is not sent directly to your device as a standard. The footage is written to media cards in the GoPro and in the mixing board. The easiest way to transfer this footage is to connect your device to the GoPro and Mixing Board.

Steps to Transfer footage

Transferring footage is simple, once you understand the process.

Transferring Footage From GoPro

1. Press stop on the GoPro and Mixing Board. The GoPro will automatically save the file. The mixing board requires you to save with a name.
2. GoPro (video): connect the USB-C cable to the back of the GoPro. Connect the USB-C cable to your computing device. If you computing device does not have USB-C, then you can attach an adapter to the USB-C cable. That adapter is also located in the filing cabinet.
3. On your computing device, navigate to the folder where you can see GoPro.
4. Click into the GoPro folder and DSCM folder.
5. Select the files you want to transfer and drag them onto your computer’s desktop, or wherever you want (for more experienced users).
6. Eject the GoPro device by selecting File > Eject on Macs. For PC:Open File Explorer by pressing Windows key + E . On the left, click This PC. On the right, right-click your USB flash drive. Select Eject.
7. Test the footage on your devices.

Transferring Audio From Mixing Board

1. Press stop Mixing Board. The mixing board requires you to save with a name. The digital display on the mixing board will walk you through that process.
2. Connect the USB-C cable to the back of the Mixing Board. Connect the USB-C cable to your computing device. If you computing device does not have USB-C, then you can attach an adapter to the USB-C cable. That adapter is also located in the filing cabinet.
3. On your computing device, navigate to the folder where you can see Mixing Board.
4. Click into the Mixing Board folder and you will see .WAV files.
5. Select the files you want to transfer and drag them onto your computer’s desktop, or wherever you want (for more experienced users).
6. Eject the Mixing Board device by selecting File > Eject on Macs. For PC:Open File Explorer by pressing Windows key + E . On the left, click This PC. On the right, right-click your USB flash drive. Select Eject.
7. Test the footage on your device.

Breaking Down and Putting Equipment Away

Please leave the studio equipment as you found it. Return the items to where you took them out.

1. GoPro, microphones cables and mixing board should be returned to their place in the filing cabinet.
2. Backgrounds and furniture should be returned to their original positions.
3. Lighting should be turned off and returned to its original position.

Thanks for your hard work on this production and thanks for using the studio to partner in creation!

Step 4: Editing and Post-Production Support at In Person Studio

Upload your footage and share it with Contentz, if you want help editing your footage for post production.

Share on Dropbox, Google Drive or Upload Direct to Our Site on the form below.

share email: footage@contentz.com

Click here if you do not see form.